Science is much more than a body of knowledge. It is a way of thinking. This is central to its success. Science invites us to let the facts in, even when they don’t conform to our preconceptions. It counsels us to carry alternative hypotheses in our heads and see which ones best match the facts. It urges on us a fine balance between no-holds-barred openness to new ideas, however heretical, and the most rigorous skeptical scrutiny of everything — new ideas and established wisdom. We need wide appreciation of this kind of thinking. It works. It’s an essential tool for a democracy in an age of change. Our task is not just to train more scientists but also to deepen public understanding of science. | |
— Carl Sagan | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Experience A Simple Whatever |
A Thousand Kisses | |
2020 | Talking Politics With Trump Republicans |
In Another Lifetime | |
2019 | People Will Come |
Change Is Here… | |
2018 | Be My Hero – Vote Tomorrow! |
He Was All Of Us… | |
2017 | Black And White |
Advice For #DumbDonald | |
2016 | Mirror, Mirror |
2015 | Speaking With Forked Tongue |
2014 | The Code |
2013 | Eventually Formed |
2012 | Remember To Vote Tomorrow |
2011 | It Sounds Like Chaos Theory To Me |
Posts Tagged ‘Democracy’
A Way Of Thinking, An Essential Tool
Posted in Education, Philosophy, Quotes, Science and Learning, tagged A Way Of Thinking, Carl Sagan, Democracy, Facts, Hypotheses, Knowledge, New Ideas, Philosophy, Preconceptions, Quotes, Science, Scientists, Skeptical Scrutiny, Wisdom on November 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Pass A Voting Rights Act For Democracy’s Sake
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged A Voting Rights Act, Cardinal John Henry Newman, Democracy, Majority Rule, Philosophy, Political Leadership, Politics, Quotes on January 19, 2022| 2 Comments »
That a thing is true, is no reason that it should be said, but that it should be done. | |
— Cardinal John Henry Newman | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | Pass A Voting Rights Act For Democracy’s Sake |
2021 | Tomorrow President Biden Starts Wrestling |
Good-Bye #45 | |
2020 | The Burden Of Faith |
On To Superbowl LIV (54)!! | |
2019 | Are Your Dogs Barking? |
Dangerous Waistcoats | |
2018 | And 40+ Years Later? |
2017 | He Is Alone |
2016 | Compensation |
2015 | Charlie Redux |
2014 | The Crux |
2013 | Erosion And Rechannelling |
Alliance, n. | |
2012 | How Many Thought… (One I Know Of) |
Choices And Decisions | |
2011 | Speed Spoils |
Simply Intended | |
2010 | A Second 4 Hour Jog |
My Fear Is She Loses This Bet
Posted in Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged 2030, Democracy, Economics, Living up to the promises of the digital age, Philosophy, Quotes, Shoshana Zuboff, Society, Surveillance Capitalism, Time Magazine on December 1, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Conversations about democracy, technology and the economic dominance of surveillance capitalism are now inseparable. Looking ahead to the year 2030, I put my bet on democracy because it’s the best idea humanity has ever had, despite all of its obvious imperfections. When I wake up every morning, I’m thinking about what I can do to contribute to this so that our societies mobilize to double down on democracy. This begins with saying out loud that the current state of affairs is intolerable. As citizens, we begin by joining together in our communities, organizations, associations, political networks to demand an end to commercial surveillance. Our lawmakers hear from the tech lobbyists every day. They need to feel us at their backs instead. We are poised at a new beginning, and not a moment too late. | |
— Shoshana Zuboff | |
From her interview: “Living up to the promises of the digital age“ | |
Appearing in: Time Magazine; dtd: 1 / 8 February 2021 | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | My Fear Is She Loses This Bet |
Gotta Stay Hungry | |
2020 | Still On The Obstacle Course? |
Thunder | |
2019 | Expecting A December Correction |
2018 | Dominoes II (Update From Last Year’s Post) |
2017 | Dominoes |
2016 | Itchin’ |
2015 | In The Not So Distant Future |
2014 | Sources |
2013 | Three Essentials |
2012 | Just Looking |
2011 | Religious Lessons |
2010 | View From Under The Bus… (A mid-term report card on the Obama Administration. Long, but still worth reading for historical perspective.) |
The Question Is Courage
Posted in Economics, Leadership, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged Business Leadership, Communications Decency Act, Congress, Democracy, Facebook, Facebook Will Not Fix Itself, FDA, Food and Drug Administration, Instagram, Internet Platforms, Mark Zuckerberg, Monopolies, Philosophy, Quotes, Roger McNamee, Self-Determination, Surveillance Sapitalism, Time Magazine, WhatsApp on November 16, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Personal autonomy and democracy are under assault from surveillance capitalism. And yet today’s tech industry is largely unregulated, having emerged in the midst of an era of deregulation and defunding of enforcement agencies. This has allowed tech giants to behave as unelected governments. Their communications systems have become central to our way of life, as the impact of this week’s Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp outage underscores, but they have their thumb on the scale, amplifying content that triggers fear and outrage because doing so maximizes profits. | |
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The sad truth is that the unregulated tech industry produces products that are unsafe. Congress has faced the challenge of dangerous products in the past. When the food and medicine industries were unsafe, Congress created the Food and Drug Administration. When petrochemical companies dumped toxic waste indiscriminately, Congress approved a series of environmental laws. Just like tech companies today, the affected industries claimed they would not be able to operate with regulation, but that turned out to be wrong. Now we need something like an FDA for technology products, designed to prevent harmful technologies from coming to market. For qualifying products, it would set safety standards, require annual safety audits and certification as a condition for every product, and impose huge financial penalties for any harms that result. There should also be amendments to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to create better incentives for Internet platforms. | |
Congress also needs to protect people’s privacy from relentless surveillance. My preference would be for Congress to ban surveillance capitalism just as it banned child labor in 1938. (The many industries that employed child labor complained then that they could not survive without it.) At a minimum, Congress must ban third-party use of sensitive data, such as that related to health, location, financial transactions, web browsing and app data. | |
The third area for legislation is competition, where Congress needs to update antitrust laws for the 21st century. The six-hour outage of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp illustrated for many one downside of monopoly: absolute dependence on a service. | |
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All of this may be true in Mark Zuckerberg’s mind, but the design of Facebook’s business model suggests that growth and profits are the only factors driving “the company we know.” | |
Based on the evidence of the past five years, one might say that Internet platforms have launched an attack against democracy and self-determination. It is a battle they will win unless voters and policymakers join forces to reassert their power. We have been losing the battle since 2016, but I would like to believe that this week was a turning point. | |
We have the power. The question is whether we have the courage to use it. | |
— Roger McNamee | |
From the article: “Facebook Will Not Fix Itself“ | |
Appearing in: Time Magazine; dtd: 25 Oct / 1 Nov 2021 | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | The Question Is Courage |
Never Change | |
2020 | Two Quotes Which Remind Me Of Our Lame Duck President |
Still Running | |
2019 | I’m Up For Trying |
60 Day Health / Weight Update (Nov 2019) | |
2018 | #PresidentBoneSpur |
2017 | My Staggering Confusion |
Zapped!!! | |
2016 | And Bloggers? |
2015 | Ethical Energy |
2014 | Are You Likely To Defend It? |
2013 | Might As Well |
2012 | The Long And Short Of It |
2011 | Bravery |
No Recall
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged 2021 Recall, Democracy, Democrats, Dianne Feinstein, Gavin Newsom, Government, No On The Recall, Politics, Republicans, Voting on September 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »
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Above is the image of my proof of vote for our upcoming election (on 14 September 2021), in the attempt to recall the Democratic Governor of California (Gavin Newsom). My mail-in ballot has been received and counted. I voted NO. | |
History has shown us a few rich Republicans can subvert the will of the Democratic majority in California by spending a few million dollars to fund a recall signature petition. Republicans know they can’t win a statewide election during normal voting cycles because Democrats can gear up to inform the populace and then get out the vote. To get around this, Republicans fund recalls during off-cycle years knowing far fewer voters participate in these “spot” elections. And traditionally, the Democrats fail to vote in much larger numbers than Republicans. So, their minority becomes a majority based on poor turnout. | |
The unfortunate thing is that should the Republicans succeed, they will have a good chance to also flip the U.S. Senate if an “elderly” Dianne Feinstein is unable to complete her term. So, a two-fer for a little pocket change (to them)… | |
Stop this blatant attempt to “buy” the governorship of California. Vote NO on the recall!! | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Access Is Good |
The Sun Is Shining | |
No Recall | |
2020 | Give Me A Minute To Think About That… |
November 3rd Is Coming! | |
An Eye For An Eye | |
2019 | Is #45 Warning Alabama Again? |
Day 11: 49ers Win | |
2018 | Worry (x2) |
2017 | Still Working |
Gold In The Morning Sun | |
2016 | Power Inside |
2015 | Sometimes I Feel Small |
2014 | It Slipped Away |
2013 | Corollary |
2012 | Working Retired |
2011 | The Web Is Not Authoritative! (Really?) |
Access Is Good
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged Democracy, Gilad Edelman, Government, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, Stacey Abrams, Stacey Abrams on How We'll Beat Back Voter Suppression, Voting, Wired Magazine on September 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Democracy is not partisan. That’s where I begin this conversation. Who I choose once I’m inside the voting booth is my business. Ensuring my ability to get inside is the responsibility of government. I’m a progressive Democrat in part because I want the system to be fair. We should not be guaranteed victory, but we should be guaranteed access. Anyone who believes in our democracy should hold that to be a good. | |
— Stacey Abrams | |
Quoted by: Gilad Edelman | |
In an interview: “Stacey Abrams on How We’ll Beat Back Voter Suppression“ | |
Published in: Wired Magazine | |
Dtd: 15 September 2020 | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Access Is Good |
The Sun Is Shining | |
No Recall | |
2020 | Give Me A Minute To Think About That… |
November 3rd Is Coming! | |
An Eye For An Eye | |
2019 | Is #45 Warning Alabama Again? |
Day 11: 49ers Win | |
2018 | Worry (x2) |
2017 | Still Working |
Gold In The Morning Sun | |
2016 | Power Inside |
2015 | Sometimes I Feel Small |
2014 | It Slipped Away |
2013 | Corollary |
2012 | Working Retired |
2011 | The Web Is Not Authoritative! (Really?) |
Why Republicans Are Unhappy
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged Democracy, Happiness, Infidelity, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, Republican Party, Thomas Paine on August 30, 2021| 1 Comment »
It is necessary to the happiness of a man that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing or in disbelieving, it consists in professing to believe what one does not believe. | |
— Thomas Paine | |
[If Republicans believe in Democracy and the right of the people to choose their government’s leaders, why have they spent almost ten months denying the results of (and trying to overturn) an election they lost so decisively? And why have they spent the same amount of time trying to limit the ability of voters to vote in future elections? Maybe T. Paine has explained the unhappiness (and rage) of current Republicans. When will the true political conservatives stand up and challenge the crazies who have taken over their party? Lord knows, they’ve been wandering in the dessert for over forty years now… — kmab] | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Why Republicans Are Unhappy |
I Guess It’s True | |
2020 | A Tiny And Fragile World |
Your Lyin’ Eyes | |
2019 | Day 1: Done |
#IncompetentDonald Fails On All Three | |
2018 | I Put It Down To Bad Teachers |
Day 34: In And Out | |
2017 | And The Future Is Now |
2016 | I Am |
2015 | Positively Aiming Higher |
2014 | Suspicious Minds |
2013 | We Are Not Alone |
2012 | Lawyer, n. |
2011 | Each Day Remember… |
2010 | Impossible Dreams of Camelot |
A Democratic Republic Should Promote The Majority While Defending The Minority
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged Acceptance, Democracy, Frederick Douglass, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, Resistance, Truth on July 31, 2021| Leave a Comment »
The simplest truths often meet the sternest resistance and are slowest in getting general acceptance. | |
— Frederick Douglass | |
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On This Day In: | |
2020 | In Business And In Politics |
A Free Show | |
2019 | What Is True For War Is Also True For Elections |
2018 | Start By Trying |
Day 4: Difficult Day | |
2017 | Outlasting Division |
2016 | Said The Man Who Trained To Fight For A Living |
2015 | Tripping On Treasure |
2014 | The Flower Of Light |
2013 | Eye Catching |
2012 | The Holstee Manifesto |
2011 | Three Crooners For The Shower |
The Soldier’s Faith | |
Vacation, Books And Lots Of Movies | |
Allowing For Compromise
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged Accommodation, Compromise, Democracy, Differences, Diversity, Eugene McCarthy, Mankind, Quotes on May 5, 2021| Leave a Comment »
As long as the differences and diversities of mankind exist, democracy must allow for compromise, for accommodation, and for the recognition of differences. | |
— Eugene McCarthy | |
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On This Day In: | |
2020 | Why #LyingDonald Hurts The US |
2019 | Blow Between Your Ears |
2018 | Thinking Ahead |
2017 | I’d Like To Try |
2016 | Or Blog (And Bound) |
2015 | Welcome The Virtuous |
2014 | Closing The Gap? |
2013 | On Parenting |
2012 | What Knowledge Is |
2011 | The Indefinite Accumulation Of Property |
Rational Response
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged Americans, Charlotte Alter, Democracy, Down The Rabbit Hole, Online Disinformation, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, Syracuse University, Time Magazine, Whitney Phillips on April 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Democracy relies on an informed and engaged public responding in rational ways to the real-life facts and challenges before us. But a growing number of Americans are untethered from that. “They’re not on the same epistemological grounding, they’re not living in the same worlds,” says Whitney Phillips, a professor at Syracuse who studies online disinformation. “You cannot have a functioning democracy when people are not at the very least occupying the same solar system.” | |
— Charlotte Alter | |
From her article: “Down The Rabbit Hole“ | |
Appearing in: Time Magazine, dtd: 21/28 September 2020 | |
Also appearing online at: https://time.com/5887437/conspiracy-theories-2020-election/ | |
Under the title: “How Conspiracy Theories Are Shaping the 2020 Election—and Shaking the Foundation of American Democracy“ | |
[I am currently a paid subscriber to “Time Magazine“. This quote appears without permission or authorization. I do not (and have not) received any compensation for posting this quote from either the author or the magazine. I am not claiming any ownership of the quote, nor am I promoting the purchase of the magazine. It’s merely something I read and found interesting – so, I’m passing it along to anyone who reads this blog post. — KMAB] | |
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On This Day In: | |
2020 | A Different Premise |
2019 | Can Too |
2018 | To Get Strength |
Drip, Drip, Drip | |
2017 | Bricolage Art |
2016 | Just A Shame |
2015 | Treasures Of The Mind |
2014 | Not Quite Exceeded Reach |
2013 | Who’s Side? |
2012 | Why I Joined The Army And Not The Navy… |
2011 | Is It Your Turn Yet? |
Just Trippin’ | |
I Wish Republicans Valued Democracy As Much As They Say They Value Freedom
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged Cynics, Democracy, Freedom, Philosophy, Politics, Price, Quotes, Republicans, Value on December 15, 2020| Leave a Comment »
A cynic is one who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. | |
— Oscar Wilde | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Are You A Loner? |
I Got Work | |
2020 | I Wish Republicans Valued Democracy As Much As They Say They Value Freedom |
It Sure Does | |
2019 | Something Very Different |
2018 | For Most Of Us |
2017 | Stories We Need On Life’s Edge |
2016 | Heart Trouble |
2015 | From The Inside Out |
2014 | Alone And Free |
2013 | Superstition Is Your Way |
2012 | Escape Hatches |
2011 | Sing Like No One Is Listening |
An Act Of Faith
Posted in Faith, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged Democracy, Dissent, Effects, Faith, J. William Fulbright, Medicine, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, Taste, Value on September 19, 2020| Leave a Comment »
In a democracy, dissent is an act of faith. Like medicine, the test of its value is not in its taste, but in its effects. | |
— J. William Fulbright | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | It Doesn’t Rain Forever |
Thoughtful Stroll | |
2020 | An Act Of Faith |
Born And Sold Fairy Tales | |
2019 | Fostering Debate |
2018 | The Births Of Spring |
2017 | Drug Epidemic In America |
2016 | Word Up, Chuck! |
2015 | Sometimes I Wonder About Things |
2014 | Still Racing |
2013 | Anew |
2012 | Make Both |
2011 | Are You Happy Yet? |
Don’t Mess With The Lady
Posted in Faith, History, Politics, Quotes, tagged #CowardlyDonald, Catholic, Democracy, Faith, Hate, History, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Impeachment, Politics, President Donald Trump, Quotes, U.S. Constitution, We Don't Hate Anybody on December 6, 2019| 2 Comments »
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced yesterday (5 Dec 2019), that the House is moving forward to draft articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. “Our democracy is what is at stake. The president leaves us no choice but to act.“ | |
As she was leaving the press briefing platform she was asked if she hated President Donald Trump. Pelosi turned and pointed at the reporter asking the question and said: “I don’t hate anybody. We don’t hate anybody. Not anybody in the world. Don’t accuse me.“ | |
She returned to the podium to continue: “I think the president is a coward when it comes to helping our kids who are afraid of gun violence. I think he is cruel when he doesn’t deal with helping our dreamers. I think he’s in denial about the climate crisis.“ | |
Impeachment, she emphasized, was about protecting the “Constitution of the United States,” rather than about policy disagreements or dislike of the president which could wait for the election. | |
“As a Catholic, I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me. I don’t hate anyone.“ | |
Speaker Pelosi continued, saying she prayed for the president, and, in fact did so every day. | |
As she turned to leave the stage she concluded: “So don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that.“ | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | And Ever |
Love Wouldn’t Lie | |
2020 | Why I Used To Jog At Dawn |
Seeing You In His Arms | |
2019 | The Most Pressing Task |
Don’t Mess With The Lady | |
2018 | Seek A Clear View |
2017 | Living With Myself |
2016 | Still Looking In Mirrors? |
2015 | Fear No Evil |
2014 | And Nothing Can Be As Tragic As… |
2013 | Your Tax Dollars At Work |
2012 | Historically Unacceptable |
2011 | Niners Are NFC West Division Champions!! |
The Essence Of Leadership | |